The Bells Are Ringing.......

Happy Wednesday.  Well the week is off to a depressing start for us.  I received news yesterday that my sister's friend who I made the beautiful Thinking Of You card for passed away this past Sunday night.  She had been battling cancer for a while and now she can finally rest.  She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her.  We also attended a special dinner last night to raise money for Alzheimer's research.  While the food was good and I enjoyed lending a helping hand, it always makes me think of my mother who was afflicted with this disease.  It is so hard on the families of these patients to watch their loved ones lose touch with their own lives.  Anything I can do to support research I will do.

Okay now that the depressing stuff is out of the way, let's move on to the card.  I decided to go ahead and share my other stain glass card with you today.  Since I have done a tutorial on this technique before, I know these posts are shorter than most.  With that in mind, I thought it best to do another short one today and then we move move to something new.  So let's get going.

This time I went with a Christmas theme and used a bell stamp I have.  I started with a piece of Real Red card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" and scored at 4 1/4".  I used this as the base card.  Now while it does not come through in the photo, the red of the card does show through the white glitter just a tad.  I think in the future, I would place a piece of white card stock behind it to make the frosted window stay white.  

Here is a closer look at the bells.  I bought this stamp years ago at a little stamp shop.  I wish I could say the shop was still open but it has since closed.  I stamped it using StazOn ink directly onto the acetate.  I then let it dry for a moment while I selected my glitter colors for today.  I decided to stick with traditional Christmas colors of red and green with some silver and gold thrown in for good measure.  Again, I wiped over my image with a dryer sheet before beginning to apply the glitter to reduce the static and help the excess glitter to release.  I started with the darkest color and worked to the lightest one.  Remember you want to use a white liquid glue that will dry clear.  Once I had all of my glitter applied, I put the image aside for several hours to dry.  

I used the champagne glimmer card stock to make the frame for this one.  Again, I measured the image and drew a box on the back of a piece of 4 1/8" x 5 3/8" piece of the champagne card stock.  Using my craft knife, a self healing cutting mat and my ruler, I carefully cut out the box.  I attached my dried stain glass image to the frame using sticky strip.  Once it was securely attached, I attached the entire image to the base card using glue dots.  

See I told you it was a short post.  Oh well.  Tomorrow I will be back with another card to share with you.  This time it will be a punch art card.  So be sure to stop in again to see what it is.  Thanks for stopping by today!!!!!

A Pretty Little Birdie

It terrific Tuesday - at least that is my wish for the day.  I want to share another card I made over the weekend with you today.  I have used the stamp before but have done a new card with it.  I would say this one was inspired by my husband's grandmother.  She loved birds and bird watching.  My husband grew up with her sharing her knowledge of birds and he too developed a love of bird watching.  I know one of my favorite birds to watch is the hummingbird.  Now I know there are lots of varieties of this species but I am not up on all the different names of them.  For me they are just hummingbirds.  I am always amazed at how fast their little wings move!!  I do not know how they have the stamina to keep it up.  Anyway, when I found this stamp years ago at a convention, I bought it with my husband and his grandmother in mind.

As you can see, I used a stamp that was purchased for the purpose of doing the stain glass technique.  I  started with a base card of Cajun Craze card stock.  I cut it to measure 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  The only layer that is attached to the base card is the stain glass image with its frame.  I guess we will take a little closer look at it.

I used the black StazOn ink to stamp the image onto acetate.  I gave it a few minutes just to sit to be sure it dried.  Next, I selected the colors of glitter I would use for my image.  As always, I also used a white glue that would dry clear to apply the glitter.  I started by wiping over the image with a used dryer sheet.  I then worked from the darkest color to the lightest color.  Remember the reason for this is so as you shake off the excess glitter, you will not mix in any of the darker colors on top of the lighter.  The dryer sheet will remove the excess static from the acetate and allow the glitter to easily release.  Once all the glitter was applied, I set the piece aside for several hours to dry.  Remember by looking at the front of your image you will know when its dry because all you will see is the glittered image.  If you see any white still showing from the glue, you will need to let it continue to dry. 

I chose to make a frame for this one.  I cut a piece of glittery silver card stock at 4 1/8" x 5 3/8".  Next I measured the image with a handy ruler and then drew a box on the back of the glittery silver and then using a self healing cutting mat and my craft knife I carefully cut the box out.  I applied sticky strip to the borders of the frame and carefully placed it over the acetate piece being sure the image shows through.  The image and frame are attached to the card using glue dots.  

I left the inside of this card blank.  I did attach a white piece of card stock inside to either stamp a greeting on or to write on when I decide what I want to use this card for in the future.  It is always nice to have blank cards on hand.  

Well that is it for today.  I do have another stain glass image to share later this week.  Tomorrow I will be back with another card for you to see.  I think you will enjoy it and hope you return to see what it is.  Thanks for stopping by today.

Pin A Rose .........

Hi everyone and happy Friday.  Thanks you for your understanding yesterday.  I took the day to get a few things done that I needed to and to just rest and relax.  This cold I have has been up and down this week and that coupled with other things just finally overwhelmed me.  I was able to regroup and get in some creative time to get my mojo going again.

On Wednesday I shared with you the step by step instructions on how to make a Stain Glass image.  I made a beautiful rose and told you I would let you see the project I used it on.  Let me start by sharing the finished rose with you once again.

Here is my beautiful rose.  To learn how to make this please visit my prior blog on Wednesday September 12, 2012.  All the steps are listed for you.

And here is the card I made using the rose.  I knew I was going to make this one to be a little larger than the standard card so I started by cutting a base card measuring 5 1/4" x 10 1/2", scored at 5 1/4".  That's right - it's a square.  I chose to use one of the new in-colors from this year called Summer Starfruit.  I added a layer of Elegant Eggplant to this using runner adhesive.  I cut this piece to measure 4 3/4" x 4 3/4".  Then it was time to make the frame.

To create my frame, I used a piece of shimmer white card stock.  I took a piece of this and punched out 2 11" strips using the retired lace ribbon border punch.  I really like the look of this border.  I cut the pieces to be 3 flowers across the top and bottom and 4 down each side.  I attached these to the acetate edges of the rose using my 2 way glue pen.  I then placed a rhinestone in the center of each flower all the way around the edges.

Finally I added a background for my rose.  The acetate cut for the rose measures 3" x 4" so I started by cutting another piece of Summer Starfruit card stock to measure the same.  I then took this and ran it through my big shot using the fancy fan impression folder.  I am beginning to think this is one of my favorites because I find myself using it more and more.  I took the impressed piece and sprayed it with my champagne shimmer spray and attached it the the acetate by placing a glue dot in each corner.  I knew these would be covered by the border and wanted a good strong adhesive to hold these together.  I then added runner adhesive to the back of the Summer Starfruit and added some glue with my 2 way glue pen to the edges of the lace border that extend over the side of the acetate.  I placed it on my card front and pressed down to be sure all areas adhered as I wanted.  

Once again I want to thank you for understanding about yesterday.  I am hoping to really relax some over the weekend and send this cold away.  My family and I are having a pizza party for my daughter Heather for her upcoming birthday and it should be a lot of fun.  

I wish you all a wonderful weekend.  I will return Monday with another share for you.  Thanks for stopping by today!!!!!!

A Different Type if Blog

Hi everyone!!  It's Wednesday!!!!  I cannot believe how fast this week is flying by.  I think my being down with a cold has made me lose track of time this week.  I also know I have a busy weekend ahead of me.  It seems to be rushing towards me.

For today, I decided I wanted to do a blog that is different than what I usually do.  As I was looking at some of my Stain Glass cards last night, I thought to myself it is one thing to write the instructions out for you to try to follow but it is another to see photos of the step by step process.  So I decided to take photos and show you how to do this technique step by step.  Are you ready to get started?  Let's go!!

 

To begin the stain glass process you will need to have a piece of acetate, StazOn ink and a stamp.  I cut my acetate to be the size of my stamp or a little bigger.  When you are selecting your stamp to use for this, you will want to to choose a stamp with open areas that can be filled.  Finally, I choose to use the StazOn  ink because it does not smear on the acetate and dries extremely quickly.

 

Once you have the 3 basic materials you are ready to begin.  Ink up your stamp and stamp the image onto the acetate.  Allow it to sit for a minute or two to make sure it's dry.  Grab a used drier sheet and rub the entire image with it.  This is to help the excess glitter to release from the areas where you do not want it.

 

Now you will want to grab a liquid glue that dries clear.  I have found the I like using one that goes on white because it is easy to see.  Add the glue to the area you want to add your darkest glitter to.  Now for my rose,  I chose only 2 colors - green for the stem and leaves and purple for the rose and bud.  Both of my colors are about the same in terms of darkness so I chose to start with the green.

Fill in all areas you will add your first color to so you will add all of it at once.

 

 

Here you can see where I dumped my glitter onto the areas with glue.  I always do this over a scrap piece of paper and then shake the excess off into a coffee filter.  I have found that the coffee filter makes it easy to pour the excess back into the glitter bottle so you will not waste much at all.  

 

 

Here is the image after all excess glitter has been removed.  Now you will repeat the process with your next color which in my case is the purple.  I added the glue to the rose and bud, shook on the glitter and shook off the excess into a coffee filter.  This was returned to the glitter bottle.

 

 

Here is my image after the purple glitter was added.  This side that you added the glitter to will be the back of the image.  It does take some time to dry so make sure your do your glittering early enough so you can let it dry completely before you add it to your project.  You can check the drying process as your day goes on and here's how:

 

 

This is the image from the front side of the rose.  I am holding it up in the photo since I cannot put the wet side down.  You can see that while the back sparkles with the glitter, the front simply shows the white glue.  As it dries, the image will slowly begin to show.  The glue will turn clear and the glitter will show through.

 

 

Here is my rose once it had dried completely.  As you can see, you will no longer have any white places on the image.  All you will see it the glitter.  The details from the stamp will show as I am sure you noticed in the completely wet image as well as this one.  

I hope I explained the technique and showed images that will benefit you.  If you are at all confused, feel free to ask for clarification.  I will be happy to help.  

Now that my beautiful rose is completed, I will use it on a card.  Hopefully I will have that to share with you for tomorrow.  I am so glad you came by today and I hope you learned something and will give this a try.  Let me know how your projects turn out.  I will see you all tomorrow!!

 

More Cupcakes

Happy Monday to you all!!  I hope everyone had a terrific weekend.  Unfortunately, I seem to have come down with a cold.  I can tell you I feel like the energy has been zapped right out of me.  Luckily I had a good start on a card for today and was able to finish it between my laying down to nap times.  So let's get started. 

 

I must have been in a purple mood when I sat down to make this one.  I really focused on just the purple family when putting together the color scheme for this one.  I started with a base card of Wisteria Wonder cut at 4 1/4" x 11", scored at 5 1/2".  I added a layer on top of this using Elegant Eggplant card stock.  I cut it to measure 4" x 5 1/4" and ran it through the big shot using the Fancy Fan impression folder.  I sprayed it with my champagne shimmer spray and attached it to the base card using runner adhesive.

 

To make the lovely cupcake you see, I started with my Crazy for Cupcakes stamp set which is retired.  I selected the large cupcake and stamped it onto acetate using StazOn ink.  I used the Stain Glass technique on this one too.  Again, you work on the side of the acetate you stamped the image on.  Use a liquid glue that will dry clear.  Apply your glue to an area you wish to add glitter to and then sprinkle the glitter onto it.  Shake off the excess glitter.  I always start with the darkest color and work to the lightest color.  A tip for helping with the static that always seems to be on the acetate is to use a used dryer sheet and rub over the stamped image before you start adding any glitter.  It helps the glitter to stick only to the glue and release from the other areas.  

The hardest part of this technique is waiting for it to dry.  Your image needs to be completely dry prior to adding it to your card.  Once dry, I added a piece of Wisteria Wonder to the be the background for it.  I attached the acetate, glitter side down to the Wisteria using a glue dot on each corner.  Next I took a piece of Whisper White and punched out a border strip using the dotted scallop ribbon border punch.  I cut it into pieces and attached them to each side of the cupcake using a liquid glue.  I added a small scallop flower from the itty bitty punch pack made from eggplant to each corner to cover the seams.  To finish it off, a rhinestone was added to the center of each flower.  The entire piece was attached to the card using runner adhesive.

 

The greeting for this one is from the stamp set called Create A Cupcake.  I stamped it using Elegant Eggplant ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I then punched it out using the large scallop punch.  Next I punched a scallop oval out of the Wisteria Wonder card stock and layered the large oval on top of it using runner adhesive.  It is attached to the card using dimensionals.

Well, I am off to make another card right now while I am inspired.  Then it will be time for a nap.  I will have a post for you tomorrow.  Please come by to see me then.  Thanks for stopping by today!!

A Halloween Birthday

It's Friday!!!!  Once again we find ourselves at the beginning of the weekend.  Well my internet whoas continue.  We had the nice little man come out and check all of our connections.  He found that everything was running superbly at our house but not at the neighbors.  So we contacted our neighbor and now must wait until the nice internet provider comes to fix his issue which should in turn fix ours.  The sad part of it is who knows when that will happen.  So until it does, I will just fight with the internet and if it takes 6 hours to get my blog typed then so be it.  I shall not allow it to defeat me!!!

Over the years, I have met several people who have a birthday on Halloween or just before it.  My sister in Florida celebrates her's the day before it.  So I decided to make a card for a birthday using some of my favorite Halloween colors.  Ready to see it?  Here we go!!

I started this card with a base of Pumpkin Pie card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  Next I added a layer of Basic Black which measures 4" x 5 1/4".  The Elegant Eggplant layer was cut to be 3 3/4" x 5".  Once cut I ran it through my big shot using the Lacy Brocade impression folder.  It was then sprayed with the champagne shimmer spray.  All layers were attached to the base using runner adhesive.

Next comes the cupcakes.  The stamp comes from the retired stamp set called Crazy for Cupcakes.  I stamped it using StazOn ink onto a piece of acetate.  Next I used a white glue that would dry clear and began to color my image. Fill in the image on the side of the acetate you stamped on.  You will be able to feel the ink lines. This is known as the stain glass technique.  You work from darkest to lightest glitter color to do this.  Before I begin, I like to wipe the image using a used dryer sheet.  This helps remove the static from the image so the glitter will not stick where you do not want it.  Fill in the areas you want to used your darkest glitter on with the glue.  Sprinkle the glitter over it and shake off the excess.  Then continue the process with your remaining glitter colors until all areas are filled in and glittered.  You will need to put this aside and allow it to dry completely.  You will know when it is dry because the glitter will show on the other side of the image which will face out instead of the glue.  To layer it onto the card, I took a piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock and cut it to be 3" x 4 1/4".  I used a corner punch I picked up at a local craft store and punched the corners.  I then ran it through the big shot using the same Lacy Brocade impression folder.  I attached the acetate to this by using my 2 way glue pen and added glue to the back of the corner punch areas.  I slipped the corners of the acetate under these and pressed down.  The glue will dry and your acetate will be adhered to the background.  I attached the entire piece to the card using glue dots on the corners and some runner adhesive in between.  Once attached, I added a black pearl to each corner.  

Last, I added my birthday greeting.  This comes from the stamp set Create A Cupcake.  I stamped it using Elegant Eggplant ink onto Whisper White card stock.  I punched it out using the word window.  The edges are colored using a sponge and my Pumpkin Pie ink.  The greeting was adhered to the card with dimensionals.

Well, that is all for today.  Thanks for your patience.  I will return Monday with another share for you.  Until then, have a safe and wonderful weekend!!  See you next week!!!!

Butterflies In The Window

Once again here we are at the end of a week.  I cannot believe it is Friday.  The weather here in Phoenix has be crazy this week.  We went from the mid 80's to the low 60's and back into the 70's.  I just wish we could get some rain.  We had lots and lots of wind this week which gave everyone sinus problems.  I certainly hope it will stabilize in the coming week so everyone will feel better. 

Today's share is another stain glass creation.  It is the last one for the week and I am hoping to share more punch art next week.  The stamp I used for the main image is not one from Stampin' Up! but most of my stain glass stamps come from a different company.  Most of them I have had for years - much longer than I have been a SU! demonstrator.  Anyway, let's get started on today's card.

 

I started with a base card of Whisper White cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I then added a layer of Perfect Plum measuring 4" x 5 1/4".  Before attaching it to the white, I did sponge the edges with Perfect Plum ink.  It is attached using runner adhesive.  Next I cut a piece of Pretty In Pink to be 3 3/4" x 3 3/4".  I ran it through the big shot using the Manhattan Flower impression folder.  Next I brushed the edges of it using a sponge with Regal Rose ink.  I also attached the white strip at the bottom of the pink using runner adhesive and then attached the whole thing to the plum piece with runner adhesive.  I scalloped the edge of the white prior to attaching it to the pink.

 

To make the scallop along the edge of the white strip, I first used the new Adorning Accents Edgelits that work with the big shot.  They are simply a strip that you lay across your card stock and run it through your big shot using tab 2.  It cut the pretty scallop shape you see on this card.  To emboss the scallop and add a little texture I used the Adorning Accents Textured Impressions Embossing Folders that coordinate with the edgelits.  All of these are in the Occasions Mini catalog.  I took another piece of white and stamped my greeting using Perfect Plum ink.  I got my greeting from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I punched it out using the word window punch and sponged the edges of it with the plum ink.  I then layered it on top of a Pretty in Pink modern label (you use the modern label punch for that but I bet you already knew that).  I attached it to the card using dimensionals and added pearls to the ends.  

 

Here is a close up of the butterflies.  Now I am not going to bore you again on how to do stain glass.  You can visit one of the other samples to get the instructions if you need.  Once my glitter had dried, I realized the top butterfly was very light and would need to be backed on a color that would help it stand out.  So I took a piece of Whisper White card stock and used my pastels to create a sky scene on it.  Once the sky was finished, I attached my butterfly window to it using glue dots.  I then cut it out so that no sky showed around the image.  I know it might be hard to see but you can see the blue of the sky behind the panes of the window.  I attached the entire window to the pink using runner adhesive.

For me, this has been a really fun week.  I love working with glitter! I hope you enjoyed some of the creations you saw on here.  I wish you all a wonderful weekend filled with fun.  I will be back Monday with another card to share.  Until then. thanks for dropping by today!!

 

 

Dragonfly Stain Glass Day 2

It's Thursday already.  I can hardly believe we are so close to another weekend.  Where does the time go?  I have been busy this week preparing for a class I am teaching on Saturday.  We are going to make some cute spring time punch art so I will be very punch happy by next week.

Yesterday I shared a beautiful stain glass dragonfly I made a kite on my card.  Today, I wanted to share with you another dragonfly used in a different way.  Now I will tell you prior to showing you my card that I used the same color pattern of glitter on this dragonfly.  I wanted to have the symmetry between the two cards.  So if you're ready, let's get started.

 

I started with a base card of Daffodil Delight measuring 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4"  Next, I added a layer of Whisper White cut at 4" x 5 1/4".  Prior to adding this to my card, I did run it through the big shot using the Finial Press impression folder.  I adhered it to the Daffodil using runner adhesive.  I then took a scrap piece of Pacific Point card stock and cut it to be 4 1/4" x 4 1/2".  Using my eyelet border punched, I punched along 2 sides of the Pacific card stock.  I attached this piece once it was punched to the white using runner adhesive.  I then added pearls to the center dot of each eyelet. 

 

When it came to my greeting, I turned once again to my Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set.  I was not sure exactly what I was going to use this card for so I chose "thinking of you".  In my opinion, this works for any occasion.  I stamped it using Pacific Point ink onto a scrap piece of Whisper White card stock and punched it out using the word window punch.  I then took another scrap piece of Pacific Point card stock and punch out a modern label.   I layered the 2 together using runner adhesive.  I added a pearl to each end and then attached it to the card using dimensionals.

 

As you can see, I used the stain glass technique on this dragonfly, using the same colors as yesterday.  However, to me this one seems to have more vivid colors than the one yesterday.  Oh well.  That is just the way it came out.  I started by stamping the image onto acetate using StazOn ink.  I then used a clear drying glue and added glue to the different areas one at a time.  Add your glitter starting with the darkest color.  Be sure you shake off any excess glitter prior to moving onto the next color that way they do not mix.  Once it was dried completely, I attached it to the Pacific Point card stock using glue dots.  When it was adhered down, I used my white gel pen to add doodle dots to fill in the open blue space.  

Again, I urge you to try this technique at least once.  It really is easier than it sounds.  I would be happy to work with you on it if you attend a crop at my home.  If you would like to be on my mailing list please email me and I will add you being sure you receive any invitations I send out.   

Thank you so much for dropping by today.  Be sure to come back tomorrow for one more stain glass card.  I look forward to seeing all of you then.  Thanks again!!

Let's Go Fly A Kite

I always enjoy watching the movie Mary Poppins.  I love all the songs from it and find myself often singing them.  As I was working on my sample to share with you today, this kite song started running through my head.  I think it is because of the shape of the image.  Anyway, I thought it would also be a nice title for today's blog.  So let's get onto the card sample so you will understand what I am talking about.

 

Let's start with the base card and go from there.  I decided to use Pacific Point card stock as my base.  It was cut to be 4 1/4" x 11". scored at 5 1/2".  However a funny thing happened while making this card.  When I put my top layer with the kite onto the blue, I put it on upside down.  I am sure the fact I was talking on the phone at the time had nothing to do with it at all.  So I cut the card in half making it 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" and will keep it as a sample for future reference.  The kite tail is a piece of Whisper White 1/4" grosgrain ribbon.  I wanted to be sure to tell you here as you cannot really see the tail in the other photos.  The layer I added on top is Tangerine Tango card stock cut at 4" x 5 1/4".   Let me show you a close up of it.

 

I used the impression folder called Elegant Bouquet and ran it through the big shot prior to attaching it to the Pacific Point.  I wanted to jazz it up a little so I started by adding doodle dots to all the petals on the flowers.  Then I added little pearls to the flower centers.  I only worried about the ones that would show.  Now I realize as I am looking at the picture, you can see the center of the one right under the kite so I should have placed on there too.  However when I was looking at it on my craft table, I failed to notice.  It is attached using runner adhesive.

 

I started work on the kite design by stamping my image on a piece of acetate using StazOn black ink.  I love the dragonfly image on this one.  As you can see I used the stain glass technique, which involves lots of glitter.  Always work from darkest color to lightest.  I think I have said the opposite before but I was wrong if I did.  By doing the darkest first, you will not run the risk of a dark color getting into a lighter one and showing through.  Anyway, use a glue that dries clear and work with one color at a time.  You have to let the design dry completely before attaching it to the card.  This will take a while so you can use that wait time on another project.  I wanted to attach it using dimensionals but they do not stick well to glitter.  So I put the dimensions onto the dragonfly kite using a glue dot and them adhered the backside of the dimensional to the card itself.  

Since I have now done a half week of stain glass cards, I have decided to finish the rest of the week with them too.  I truly enjoy making them and once I get started it is hard for me to stop.  I did make a second card using this same stamp but not as a kite.  I will share that with you tomorrow.  I do so appreciate you taking the time to stop by and visit.  Please do come back tomorrow!!  See you all then!

Daisies - The Friendly Flower

Have you ever seen the movie "You've Got Mail" with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks?  In the movie, the character Meg Ryan plays loves daisies and she calls them the friendly flower.  I guess I can see her point.  When they are in bloom, they always make me smile.  So for today's share, I turned to a stamp I picked up at a craft store a few years ago.  This little stamp has been used every spring for the past few years.  Well let's get started shall we.

 

This card starts with a base card of Pink Pirouette cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  Next I cut a piece of acetate at 4" x 5 1/4".  I took my little daisy stamp and stamped it onto the acetate in a random pattern.  Now as you know when working with acetate, you need to use an ink like StazOn because it dries immediately and does not smear.  From the picture, I bet you can see that there is no black ink used on this.  However, all the inks are by StazOn.  I used a pink, purple, green, and blue StazOn ink to give the flowers borders of color.  For some reason the colored inks do not dry immediately so to avoid a smear, I used my heat tool and heat set the ink after I stamped all the flowers.  I also let it sit for 30 to 45 minutes.  Once I was sure it was all dry, I glittered the center of all the flowers with a sunshine yellow glitter by adding a glue that would dry clear and then sprinkling the glitter.  Shake off the excess.  Next go by the colors and glitter your flowers in the same way.   Sit this aside to dry completely.  You will know its dry when you look at the other side and no longer see glue.  You only see the glitter.  I adhered this to my base card once it was dry using glue dots.  To cover the dots, I punched photo corners using the retired photo corner punch.  I ran the photo corners through the big shot using the Square Lattice die, then attached them with glue dots.

 

For the greeting, I first punched a 2 1/2" scallop circle in Whisper White.  Next I punched a 1 3/4" scallop circle in Pink Pirouette.  I took a scrap piece of vellum paper and stamped my greeting which comes from the stamp set Word Play.  I used the pink StazOn ink and heat set it so it would match the flowers.  I then punched it out using the 1 3/4" scallop circle.   I glued the vellum onto top of the pink one and then layered that on top of the white scallop.  Just to jazz it up a little, I added some Stickles glitter glue to each scallop.  I attached this to the finished card using dimensionals.  The nice thing about this card is it could be used for a birthday or a graduation or any occasion where wishing big would be appropriate.  All in all, I do like the background of flowers and will try this again at some point.

That's all I have for this terrific Tuesday.  I hope all of you have a wonderful day.  Thanks for stopping by today.  See you tomorrow.

Mama's Roses

Happy Monday to everyone.  I hope you all had a nice weekend.  I will admit it was a tough one for me.  Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of my mom's death.  I can't believe it has been 5 years already.  I miss her terribly and still find myself wanting to pick up the phone to call her.  To help me get through yesterday, I decided to make a card for her.  Now I only did a card front but after all this is more for me than anyone else.  My colors were easy to choose as she always looked so pretty in pink and purple.  I can remember growing up that she always had rose bushes and I know she loved roses.  The card actually came to together rather easily.  So let's take a look at it.

 

I started with a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock cut at 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  I ran it through the big shot using the Finial Press impression folder.  I also took a piece of Whisper White Card Stock and punched out photo corners using the retired punch to do it.  I also ran these through the big shot using the Finial Press impression folder.  

 

For the greeting, I turned to the retired stamp set called Well Scripted.  I love the look of the writing.  I stamped my greeting onto a piece of Pink Pirouette card stock using Rose Red ink.  I then ran it through the big shot using the smallest frame from the Labels Collection framelits set.  I then edged it using Rose Red ink.  Now usually, I would use the next size up in the framelit set for the background.  However this would have been too large for the card.  So I cut out 2 Whisper White frames using the same size as the pink and made my own frame.  It is adhered after the roses are finished being glittered and drying using dimensionals.

 

The flowers were made using the stain glass technique.  I started by cutting a piece of acetate to measure 3 3/4" x 5".  I then stamped my rose onto this using StazOn ink.  I stamped 2 of them so I could use both colors I wanted to use.  Next I filled in the stem and leaves with a glue that dries clear and sprinkled the green glitter on top of it.  Shake off the excess glitter.  Then I did the rose bud and rose bloom of one flower with the glue and pink glitter and the other one with purple.   Be sure to shake off the excess glitter after each color.  You will then need to let this dry completely.  You will know it is dry when you turn it over and no longer see the glue but are greeted with dazzling glitter.  I adhered it to the pink base once it was dried completely, glitter side down.  I did this using a glue dot in each corner.  I covered these glue dots by adding the photo corners.  

My mom would have loved this card.  I know she is watching.  Grief is one thing that each of us goes through differently.  For me, making cards even for those who have died is very comforting.  It helps to ground me and get me back on track.  

I hope you enjoyed my card today.  Give the stain glass technique a try.  I know it may seem hard but it is really fairly simple and the result is beautiful.  Thanks for dropping by today.  See you tomorrow.

 

Egg Pick-up

It's is once again fabulous Friday.  This week has just flown by.  I was pretty busy with a few appointments, errands and taking care of ill family.  Still it just seemed to go by so fast.  Maybe that is just a side effect of getting older.  Who knows.  It is just nice when things seem to slow down and you feel you have more time to enjoy them.

For today's share, I decided to do one of my favorite things - work with glitter!!  I love that sparkle you see when something is all glittered and shiny!  In choosing my topic for my card I decided to go with an Easter theme today.  So let's get started.

 

As you can see, I chose to use lots of pastels on this card.  I personally always associate these colors with Easter so they were a natural selection for me.  I started with a base card of Bashful Blue card stock cut at 5 1/2" x 8 1/2", scored at 4 1/4".  I used my Sprinkles stamp set to stamp small flowers onto the outer edges of the Bashful Blue using VersaMark ink.  I then sprinkled clear embossing powder onto the flowers and heat embossed them.   Next, I pulled out scrap pieces of Pretty in Pink, So Saffron, Certainly Celery, and Whisper White.  Using my big shot and the new Framelits Labels Collection from the Occasions Mini Catalog, I decided on the order of my colors and cut the labels to suit my needs.  I love these framelits.  They make decorating a lot of fun.  I wanted to add a little texture to each layer so I once again turned to the big shot for help.  The Pretty in Pink was run through the big shot using an impression folder called Plaid.  For the So Saffron, I ran it through using the impression folder called Houndstooth.  My Certainly Celery piece was also put through the big shot but instead of using an impression folder I used a texture plate called Harlequin.  These work very similarly to the impression folder.  For the Whisper White, I used my pastels to chalk a sky.  You cannot really see it in this picture but I promise it is there.  The layers were each sprayed using the Color Spritzer Tool and coordinating markers (again it is hard to see).  I adhered each layer to each other as well as to the base card using glue dots. 

 

When it came to the greeting, I used a stamp from the Loads of Love Accessories Stamp Set.  I stamped it using StazOn ink onto Whisper White and punched it out using the 1" square punch.  I then edged it using Perfect Plum ink.  Next I took a piece of scrap Perfect Plum card stock and punched it using the Postage Stamp punch.  I layered the two together and adhered it using dimensionals. 

 

For the center piece of the card, I used the Loads of Love stamp set for the truck and the Loads of Love Accessories stamp set for the eggs.  I stamped these on acetate using StazOn ink.  I first stamped the truck and then added the eggs using my stamp-a-ma-jig as a guide.  Next comes the glitter.  This is a stain glass truck so it was colored in the same manner as any other stain glass creation.  I started with my lighter glitter colors and worked towards the dark ones.  I added glue to the area I wanted a color in and then added the glitter.  Let it sit for a minute then you can add glue to the next area for your next color.  Continue this pattern until your image is completely glittered.  Let it dry completely.  I tend to leave mine to dry over night.  You do not want any part of it wet when you attach it.  I then used my small paper snips to cut the truck out.  You adhere it, glitter side down, using glue dots.  Just be patient.  I know it takes time to make these but the finished product is just gorgeous.  

I certainly hope you all have a wonderful weekend.  I am looking forward to one with everyone well.  I will be back on Monday with another card to share with you.  Be sure to stop and see what I come up with.  See you on Monday and thanks for stopping by today!!

A Scene Close to Home

Happy Friday everyone!!  We have made it through another week and at least this one was cooler!!  I am trying not to watch the forecasts for next week as the temperature are suppose to climb up once again.  I hope they are wrong.  Only time will tell.

Today's card is another stain glass card.  This one really reminds me of Arizona as it is a desert scene.  I picked this stamp up at a convention and really love the results I get with it.

 

Let's start with the basics for this one.  The base card which you cannot see is Old Olive.  I chose it because it matched my cactus pretty well.  For the front, I decided to frame the stain glass scene using the top note die for the big shot.   I ran a piece of Whisper White through the machine with the top note die.  I set the cut out part aside for future use and used the frame for this one.  I then placed the frame in the Perfect Polka Dots impression folder and put it through the big shot.  I just love the polka dots don't you?!!  The frame measures the same as the base card front which is 4 1/4" x 5 1/2".  

 

Here is a close up of the desert scene.  It could be either a sun rise or sun set.  I actually used a blended glitter called Arizona Sun for the sun and its rays.  Once again, the glitter is not from SU!.  I do feel bad for not using theirs but as I have said before I like to have a wide variety of colors to choose from.  Maybe SU! could look into making glitter for all their ink colors.  That would work for me!!

Well it is a short post today but I have a charity event to help my husband prepare for so I need to get going.  I wish all of you a great weekend and hope you will return on Monday for another share.  Thanks for stopping by today!!

Up, Up and Away

Before we start for today, I have to tell you God has been so good to us this week with the weather.  It rained some on Tuesday night and the daytime temperatures are forecasted to be in the 70's and 80's!!  I am praying this trend continues.  After months of heat, it is so nice to be able to sit outside and enjoy it.  Of course, this means that I am not at my craft table when I am outside but I am pretty sure I can find time for both.

As I said yesterday, I went back to using my rainbow of glitter yesterday.  I wanted to work with a stamp I got at a convention a few years ago.  I had not used it in a while and thought it was time to see it again.  So I dug it out of my stamp stash and off to work I went.

 

This is a stamp I have used for graduations over the years with a reach for your dreams type of saying.  It could be used for any occasion  you would like to use it for.  It is such a neat balloon and it really lends itself to the stain glass technique.  Who could ask for more?  My base card is Marina Mist, with a layer of Cajun Craze on top of it.  All card stock is from Stampin' Up!.  I chose to do the outline of the left side and bottom using black glitter so that the balloon would stand out.  Let's take a closer look.

 

It is more difficult to take a close up of stain glass than other cards because of the shine.  I apologize for the slightly blurry look this has.  The basket of the balloon is colored in with a glitter called Sand.  I have to tell you though as far as I am concerned it is so close to gold, it could be called that.  I used a light blue glitter for my sky so the balloon is the centerpiece and the sky is just background as it should be.  The cloud was colored in with white glitter.  I probably do not need to tell you the glitter colors.  After all, you can see them for yourself.   None of the glitter used on this card is from Stmpin' Up!.  As I have said before, I love their glitters and use them often.  However, they do not have every color I need for doing my stain glass work.  I attached my stain glass balloon scene using glue dots.  If you place them on the dark glitter colors, they will not show through to the outside.  I trimmed this one down to leave absolutely no excess acetate on the edges after I glittered it.  I never know until I am ready to assemble my card if I will need the edge of acetate or not.  

Well, I think I will go enjoy the weather for a while now.  Mornings are especially nice right now!!  Thanks for stopping by today and please come back tomorrow!!

Roses Are Red - No They're Pink

This weekend I got to do one of my favorite techniques - stain glass.  Yes I worked with glitter all weekend!!  It was the best!  Now my dog is probably tired of the glitter.  Since she is all black, it shows up well on her coat.  She shines for days.

I truly love the glitter from Stampin' Up!.  However, for my stain glass it is very limiting.  I like to have a broad spectrum to work with so that I have the right color for what I am doing.  This leads me to the glitter aisle at my local craft stores.  I happened to wander down one a few weeks ago and found the neatest set of glitter with 30 different colors.  Yes it was expensive but I also happen to have a 50% off coupon making the item much more affordable.  Believe me when I say I broke those glitter bottles in this weekend.  I started with one of my stamps that had a flower on it, a rose to be exact.

 

Just look at that sparkle.  I did rely on SU! for all my card stock for this one.  I framed the flower with the top note die for the big shot.  I ran a piece of whisper white through the big shot, cutting out the top note.  I then set the cut out aside for another card and used the frame.  I then placed the frame in the SU! Finial Press impression folder and ran it through the big shot just to add a little texture to the card.  The base card is perfect plum card stock.  When I placed my piece of stain glass next to it, it popped right out so I knew it was the one.  I used light pink rhinestones I found at the local craft store for the corners. 

Pink roses are very special to me.  They always remind me of my mom.  Even though she has been gone for 4 years, not a day goes by that I do not think of her.  As the holidays approach, I tend to miss her a lot.  So when I chose this stamp to work with, I knew the flowers would be pink.  I used an opaque glitter on this one.  However, since the pink is such a delicate one, I needed to help it a little to make sure the background color did not change its appearance.  Had I simply attached it to the plum, the purple would have made the pink look a little funny.  So my solution was to attach it to a piece of pretty in pink card stock thus enhancing the pink color.  The other colors were all dark enough that I knew the pink background would not effect them.  

In case you have forgotten, the stain glass technique begins with a piece of acetate, a stamp, and StazOn ink.  You stamp the image on acetate and let it set for a couple of minutes.  The nice thing about StazOn is it does not smear.  Once it has set for a couple of minutes, you are ready to start the stain glass part.  For that you will need a glue that dries clear and glitter.  You start by applying the glue to the area you want to begin working with and then sprinkle glitter all over the area.  Shake off the excess and then continue to the next area until all areas are complete.  One tip I will give you is glitter tends to always have a bit static to it.  So to help control this I rub a used dryer sheet over the side of the acetate with the image stamped on it.  While it is not perfect, it does help to allow the excess glitter to be shaken off without leaving a huge amount of it behind.  

I wish all of you a marvelous Monday and hope you enjoy each moment of your day.  I think I will play with more glitter myself.  Thanks for stopping by today and I will see you tomorrow.

  

It's Turkey Time

As I was looking through the pictures of cards I have been sharing with all of you.  I saw the white kitty dressed as a witch for Halloween and my stain glass Christmas designs.  I had all sorts of card but no Thanksgiving.  Now how can I pass by a day that celebrates all our blessings, all we are thankful for, and all that great food!! 

So I decide to change that by making a Thanksgiving card.  I found a cool turkey stamp that I had and went to work.  Now my glittering fingers were itching to use all that sparkly stuff.  So what better way to do that then by making my turkey a stain glass turkey!!  I must say I was thrilled with my revelation.   So I found colors of glitter that would work well for fall and set to work.

 

Isn't he cute in his top hat?  As you can see, I used a chocolate brown, sand, and 2 harvest colors of glitter for his body.  The base card is a green called Always Artichoke ( I love the names Stampin' Up! gives their papers and inks!!).  The layer on top of it is Cajan Craze.  I ran it through the big shot using a new Houndstooth impression folder from the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog.  The turkey is on acetate and is attached to a square of whisper white using glue dots and a nice corner punch (not from SU!, sorry).  

Here is a little closer look at Mr. Turkey.  I know it is difficult to see all the colors and details on him.  Let me assure you in person, he looks magnificent!  I did sponge the edges of the square with Cajun Craze ink just to allow it to blend in subtly with the background.  

 

This is the inside of the card.  This is a greeting stamp I found on clearance on day in my local craft store.  Because the outside of the card has so much shimmer to it, I wanted to bring a little of that inside too.  I used a harvest blend of glittery embossing powder and heat embossed it.  First, I stamped it with VersaMark ink on whisper white card stock.  Next, sprinkle your embossing powder over the stamped area of the paper.  Shake of the excess and use your heat tool to bring the powder to life.  I used the ticket corner punch for the corners of the whisper white and inked the edges with Cajun Craze ink.  It is layered on a piece of Cajun Craze card stock.  

All in all, I am pleased with the turn out of the entire card.  I cannot wait to make more.  Let me know what you think by leaving me a comment.  Don't forget to stop by my store to see what's new.  Thanks for dropping by today.  See you tomorrow!

Stain Glass Christmas, Take 2

Yesterday,  I shared a stain glass Christmas card with a beautiful poinsettia on it.  Today, I want to continue the stain glass theme by sharing one more card I made using this technique.  Many people I know have called me crazy for doing these cards.  Yes they take time and patience, but the end result is so worth it to me.  So let's see what I came up with.

 

Well, what do you think?  I like the simplicity of this stamp.  This was actually a pretty quick stain glass piece to make in terms of how long it does take.  I chose a gold candle for this one, but silver would look good too.  Again, the DSP is from the Christmas Cocoa set which is retired.  The white piece I attached the candle to is actually a piece of shimmery white paper.  

 

The shimmer of the paper does not show in the photo but I promise it is there.  I went with the traditions colors of Christmas for the holly and berries.  One variation I could do would be to make the berries either gold or silver and then make the candle red.  I think that would look pretty too.  

 

The greeting I used comes from the stamp set called Curly Cute.  This one is also still available in the new catalog.  Once again, I chose to stamp directly onto the DSP using VersaMark ink, then heat emboss it using gold embossing powder.  For some reason when I make Christmas cards I love to make them sparkle if I can.  Guess it is just because of my love of the holiday.

Tomorrow is my open house/crop party.  I am so looking forward to seeing everyone who is planning to stop by.  Whether they just drop in to get the catty and say hi, or they stay and craft with me for awhile, I know I will enjoy the day.  I hope all of you have a great weekend.  Please let me know what you think of the card.  Thanks for stopping by today.  See you Monday.